Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-11-03
TARIFF EXTORTIONS
spsech OF General r. Brinksraof''
at Wilmington. o.. Saturday
Oct. 18th 1887

-1
The election now pending in the
state OF Ohio is one Of more than orii-
nary interest. The selection OF new
Legislature, together with a Governor,
and other state officers would OF itself
be suil cent to demand attention from
evpry citizen. but the fact that the
election for President and members of
Congress romes next year, necessarily
draws INTO our local canvass national
issues anil national attention.
Ohio, of all the great states Of the
union, is most evenly balanced, and the
most nsitve to political changes, and
hence it is looked to by politicians as q
barometer and guide for the next years
campaign.
The result has been 10 make our
state platforms national rather than
local, and our discussions therefore are
necessarily of a similar character.
OF the state platforms not more than
one third of the resolutions of either
have any reference to purely state
matters, and the action of voters, there
fore, is more likely to be governed by
national than state issues.
Upon the whole il seems fortunate
that this state of affairs should exist, Tor
il enables us to discuss national issues
without the personalities which pertain
to presidential or congressional cam
paign.
Personally, therefore, in the little I
have to say upon this occasion shall
confine myself to national issues, and
purely upon their merits, without any
reference to the candidates to be voted
for.
Fortunately they are all men Of good
character, and are creditable repre-
sentatives OF their respective parties.
The Republican and the Democratic
| candidates for Governor are both my
personal friends, and have high regard
| for both OF them, and therefore all L
have to say will be simply for or against
| the principles they represent, and l
trust we shall approach our discussions
in this spirit.
\ Surely the time has come at last
when we can discuss economical and
administrative subjects without per-
sonaI animosities. The W r oil the Re-
| belion is a Quarter OF century behind
us, and slavery is dead and buried, and
| gone to dust. The administrat on OF
President Cleveland has demonstrated
beyond cavil that there is no more
danger of a rebel restoration under
democratic rule than there is under
republican rule. We have no internal
striles, or foreign complications to
distract MS, and hence we ought to dis
cuss pending issues purely upon their
merits. and without passion or fear.
What the Sc issues are it is not diff
cult TO tel. Just now, that which is
most prominent, and upon which the
4 two great parties are most sharply an
tagonized is that OF taxation.
| 1t is question which cnnnot be
postponed. ior under our present system
of war taxation we are accommodating q
surplus OF a hundred millions ot dollars
annually, which if un heck" will
rapidly Withdraw from circI,&t.on all
the money of the country.
All parties admit that this condition
of affairs cannot continue without
financial ruin.
This collapse has only been tidcd
over temporarily by buying up boad:
not vet due, at high rates OF prem iun
and this expeli> Mt viii soon coule To u
end.
10 ohtain relief permanently, as al
parties admit thpr are hut two WI :
VIZ, ly $ Ean,itrng the s rp'aS
nse'lts expenditures, and the co,a.r )
re rring taxation.
The Republicans, doubtless, v-c''
/. acrtp, tlc first expe,lient If iN'r
: ! 9th l6uses of congress, IN l. - =
Dent. is they lid ior twenty y, sal
the w.r, nui fortunately they
The $, nat ani therefore nothn., A. -
: but 10 rrduc. taxation.
lii donc this the Republicans ~
substaniiai unanimity. are iilsia .
Il takilg of the internal revt'hl
nrnj q ae,co ahd liquors, an,lrti s.
the, 80 called, protective eutieS y
tart
r The perorrats on the 9th ' -
with sui stisntial unanimity, :r
: OF rei.cIli,s t,xation by r,tdHc v
taritl and 30 in angling it as 10
i nNce,s rpr venue with the k..... {. !
!, sue uptn tie people.
: III il were prat tticable a direct t.
levi d the same as our state AMI T. INIT
taxQs S, Mo ad, hy all odds, be the ligai J,
!. and easiest hut as that can OF le dom
! under present constitutions provision,
= the next best is internal revenue taNil
y ton; but as that is not suifclnt, "
must retain the tariff in some form. an,
that we believe should be a tariff TO
revenue only.
Taxation by the collection OF dutie
upon imported goods is as oil as history
d but it was not known by the name Q
+ tariff, until about a thousand years ag
u when Moorish pirrt in the M titel
o anian SEA made his headquarters ut
little port in the straits OF Gibraltar
4 on the southern coast OF Spain. Her
!. he could conveniently overhaul an
i plumber merchant vessels co ming from
the ocean or going from the sea.
In time he found it more profitabl
: to divide than to tonfist ate, and so b.
yielding half the cargo he would Civ
the merchant permit to come and 9
at will, and in this way Tarifa saved th
goose that laid the golden egg.
Of course, Tarifa made money. and a
riches increased he built castle and
town upon the land, and this in tim
became known BY the name Of its founs
er Tarlfa, and as modern nations b,
gan to adopt his methods Of taxation
they very properly adopted his nam
and taxation by import duties becam
known as tariff.
Before Tarifa showed the way tarif
were very moderate, and very reason
. able.
In Greece the average duty upon in
| ports, was only two per cent upon be
' own citizens, and five percent upon BIZ
subject allies. In Rome for a thousan